The Julie/Julia Movie

Sunday, September 6th, 2009
Posted in Thoughts by Vanessa | 0 Comments |

So I saw Julie and Julia.  I can’t actually say I liked the movie.  There were parts I liked.  I probably would’ve preferred the movie to just be Meryl Streep’s rendition of Julia Child, but the modern Julie story had some good points to it.  When Julia was describing how happy she was to get up at 5:30 in the morning to head to cooking school I practically burst into a crying fit because I wish that’s how I felt about *my* life.  Maybe one day.

Anyhow, because I am a curious (or obsessive?) person, I came home to google the movie and see if I could find Julie’s original blog.  (I did – feel free to read it here.)  After her blogging project was complete, she wrote the book Julie and Julia, on which the film is based.  I think they probably made the character in the movie a little more likable and normal.  The actual blogger was a snake owning atheist.  Not quite the same wholesome character.  Although, being that she was born and raised in Austin, you have to give her a little credit.  Also, I don’t feel like I can form a fully educated opinion on the woman being that I’ve only read a week’s worth of her blog posts so far.  And anyway, I like this line: “I had never in my nearly thirty years of life eaten an egg, but I ate one today. So that’s where I am. In a week of this experiment, I have cooked 14 recipes, but mostly I ate my first egg.”

The length and detail of the blog posts really hearken back to an earlier time in blogging history, before we all had ADD and, certainly, before Facebook and Twitter.  Off to bed with me now.  Much more to read at a later date. :)

PS: Can you imagine this scene in Park Slope nowadays?  I feel like things must’ve been different 7 years ago!

I suppose I should be feeling at peace with the world standing in a long grocery line standing behind a skinhead mother buying organic fruit leather for her adorably dreadlocked son and in front of a couple with matching blue hair buying soy milk and Rao’s marinara sauce, but instead I feel mostly like climbing the walls.

Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: blogging, movie, Thoughts

Not Dead Yet

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Posted in Thoughts by Vanessa | 0 Comments |

No, we are not dead yet — though you may think it judging by the lengthy absence. Sadly, you’d be wrong to believe this update would bear much substance.

I’ve been work a lot at my new job as a web producer which is much more project management than plain web production.  I am still figuring things out.  Not much more to report there.

My friends from Switzerland, BigP and Roger, visited us for two weeks just recently. It was very nice to have them here. I so hope they come back before too much time passes.  Hopefully I’ll get around to making a photo gallery of their visit soon.

Justin recently lost his job at JetBlue – total bummer.  It makes being in NY far less positive, I think.  The only consolation is the gentle tug of Autumn which has been lingering around the edges of the early morning or late evening hours…

Nothing is concrete.

Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: Friends, life, work

Happy Birthday Tetris!

Saturday, June 6th, 2009
Posted in Fun, News by Justin | 0 Comments |

Tetris Art

Congrats for turning 25 and still being just as awesome! Thanks for inspiring artists to make sculptures that I want to take photos of. And thanks for the hours of addicting entertainment you have provided to me and many friends. Listen to the theme music for old time’s sake. Other Tetris theme songs.

From Russia with Fun Media Coverage:
25 Years of Tetris: From Russia With Fun! (TIME)
Have a Block Party: Tetris turns 25 (Chicago Tribune)
Tetris: Rock around the Blocks (Globe and Mail)
Computer game Tetris celebrates 25 years (Telegraph)

Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: Art, birthday, Fun, Tetris

Houston, Ho!!!

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
Posted in Adventure by Vanessa | 0 Comments |

Yessiry!  I am fixin’ to be saying Howdy to Houston!  I am meeting up with my mom and sister who are already there visiting Ma.  It will be a nice way to spend a couple of days.  Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve really written much.

I just updated the Examiner website with a little blurb on Houston’s Mixers & Elixirs event and linked up Val’s Youtube video. Give it a looksee. :)

In May, we had some great guests from Germany (couchsurfers) stay with us for a few nights (ok, five nights). They even accompanied us to Texas when we went down to celebrate my Mom’s bday (check out the photos)! 

I love having guests from different countries stay with us because not only does it help them out by providing them with a free place to stay, we also get to learn so much about different countries and cultures. Not to mention, we now have friends in Germany and Italy because of couchsurfing. For Mom’s birthday, we dined at Saltgrass Steakhouse on the River Walk and continued the party a couple of different nightclubs downtown.

My little cousin Brennan was also baptized last month (photos on Picasa). He’s grown sooo much in just a short period of time, it’s pretty incredible. I just hope Sheila and Justin, the proud parents, can return to a normal sleep routine soon. Having a newborn is certainly taking a little bit of a toll on them.

Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: Examiner, Family, Houston, Photography, Texas

Begun with Internet Magnetic Poetry

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
Posted in Fun by Vanessa | 0 Comments |

heroes stumbling
quickly emptying
riches from the safe
grabbing the girl
on the way
out
an afterthought?

What is a hero if he is not rich?

Create your own work of art with internet magnetic poetry.

Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: creativity, Fun, poetry, Writing

Time Flies! 1 Year Already

Friday, May 8th, 2009
Posted in Positivity by Vanessa | 0 Comments |

Wow, it’s really hard to believe Justin and I have already been engaged for a whole year!
Justin surprised me today with a pair of earrings to mark the occasion (What a sweetheart!).  They’re not any old earrings, either.  They’re Swarovski earrings that perfectly match my engagement ring.  Super awesome!

Maybe we’ll actually plan a wedding… one of these days…

Let’s recap the year:

• May - Engaged on the River Walk in San Antonio!
• Val! and I went out to celebrate the engagement
• June - Justin and I started off the summer right with a picnic in Flushing Park (photos)
• We headed to Montana (photos and more photos) for my work and spent a day in Denver, which was a lot of fun (photos from Denver)
• Justin, Mom, Val!, (Joey), and I had a misadventure while hiking in the Catskills which resulted in stitches for me (photos)
• July – We had a great trip to Puerto Rico with Marisa and Alex (photos)
• Justin, Val! and I all turned 28
• August – Justin and I were stressed because Ruby developed Cherry Eye… but we got it fixed and she’s been great since!
• I got to see Sheila’s new house and Justin and I spent time with lots of family and friends in August (photos)
• September – I was back in Montana for work and Justin visited me for one amazing weekend (photos)
• JetBlue was completing work on T5 and Justin and I went to the Chili Pepper Fiesta in Brooklyn (photos)
• October – Justin and I celebrated our 4th anniversary by taking a vacation to Poland (with a stop in Vienna)! (photos)
• We met up with Jenny and Cody in Vieques, Puerto Rico! (photos)
• We celebrated Halloween properly by having a Pumpkin Carving Party (photos) and heading to a Halloween Party (photos).  The puppies also got in on the action (photos)
• We took a day trip to Maine to check out fall foliage (one photo)
• November – Justin and I took off for two weeks in Australia, including Thanskgiving!
• December – We returned from Australia to enjoy snowy weather in NY and Christmas in Texas (photos)
• We drove our car alllll the way from San Antonio to New York! (photos)
• January – Not my favorite start to the new year.  Justin and I found out I was being laid off from my job.
• February – I left for a week in Switzerland to visit Val! and BigP (photos)
• We visited Eric in LA (photos) and had a lot of fun with friends here in NY
  
• March – Sheila’s baby shower was this month (photos)
• Our friend Thao got baptized (photos)
• We went to Puerto Rico (El Yunque and Fajardo photos and Culebra photos) with Alex, Marisa, Tom, Niki, and Emily.  Fun times!
• April – Brennan, Sheila’s baby, was born (photos)
• We took Alex and Marisa to Texas for the weekend (photos)
• May - Ruby and Eve, our puppies, turned 2 years old (photos)

Comments: 0 Comments
Tags: anniversary, earrings, engagement, jewelry